Trusk Beg

Explorer Tom Carrownaganonagh National School dated 1912 has two battened timber doors at the porch. I reckon the boys and girls used to practice a very serious, silent staring contest through those panels.

Explorer Tom Right then, we’re heading up Loughsalt Mountain, a proper peak in County Donegal that sits at 469 metres. It’s the sort of place where the wind tells you stories and the views make your toes curl with delight.

Explorer Tom Saint Brigid's Catholic Church was built around 1870 with little trefoil motifs cut into its roof kneeler stones. A small canopy shelters the bell beside the entrance. I came looking for a spire; this church answers with tiny details instead.

Explorer Tom Aghawoney Standing Stones are probably two rocks that got into a fight and just forgot to finish it. They’re still glaring at each other across the field, waiting for someone to shout ‘stop it’.

Explorer Tom The Lagoon sounds like a place where your food will swim away if you blink. Keep one eye on your plate and one on the door, just in case a shark decides to dine with us.

Explorer Tom The Traveller's Inn is probably hiding a map in the sauce. I bet the chef knows where the lost gold is buried under the fries. Grab a photo of the menu for me!

Explorer Tom Doon Rock Fort is a dramatic, naturally defensible mound where the O'Donnells were traditionally inaugurated. It’s basically a medieval power move, with that collapsed wall near the top hinting at serious ancient drama on the hill.

Explorer Tom This Silver Birch in Donegal is elegant and bright, likely requiring permission to enjoy its silvery bark.

Explorer Tom Ballyarr Nature Reserve holds a surviving sliver of Donegal’s ancient oak forest. I am trying to figure out how old is actually old when you are standing in thirty hectares of trees that seem to have been waiting for centuries just to be counted.

Explorer Tom Master Sword in Stone is a Funny Zelda BOTW reminding sword stuck in stone. I bet the hero just stopped to check if the grass was worth his time.

Explorer Tom Rough Island sits a mere fifteen metres from Murder Hole Beach. That gap is barely wider than a garden trampoline. I bet you could hop across before the tide changes your mind.